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No. 62l,6ll. Patented Mar. 2|, I899.

H. .1. MATsoN.

SHIPS BOAT SUPPDRTING AND LAUNGHING DEVICE.

(Application filed Sept. 2, 1898.)

(No Model.)

W/TNESSES [N VENZ'OR T uonms PETERS cu. Pnorcuma, wasmNsrou, a. c

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. MATSON, or HAVRE, FRANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,611, dated March 21, 1899.

7 Application filed September T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. MATSON, a citizen of the United States of America, at present residing in Havre, France, have invented a new and Improved Ships Boat Supporting and Launching Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in the means for supporting ships boats which greatly facilitates launching the same.

My invention comprises the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed. v

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, showing a boat in place thereon. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, the deck of the shipbeing shown in section. Fig. 3 is alon gitudinal section through one set of the supporting blocks on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sections taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, the supporting block being shown in two different positions; and Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6 in Fig. 3.

The object of my device is to provide a supporting mechanism for ships boats which will makeit possible to easily launch the boats and not make it necessary-to hoist the boat, as in the ordinary method of launching a boat. With this object in view the blocks upon which the boats rest are made so that they may be moved away from under the boat and entirely'clear of the boat, whereby the boat will be left hanging from the davits without it being necessary to raise the weight of the boat. The boat thus hanging from the davits and clear of the blocks may be swung over the side of the boat without requiring a large number of men, as would be necessary if the boat had to be raised so as to clear stationary blocks. The means by which this is accomplished is as follows:

Secured to the deck of the ship at the point where the boat is to be secured are two crossbeams A, each adapted to support one end of the boat. These cross-beams are provided at their upper edges with guideways a, within which are mounted plates D, so that they may slide lengthwise of the beams A. To

2,1898. SerialNo..690,117. (No modeld each of these plates D is hinged a .block 0, the hinge E being located at one side of both the plates D and blocks 0, so that the blocks C may swing sidewise into the position shown d, which is threaded so as to form a nut.

Within each of the beams A is mounted a bar F, which is supported in bearings g and is threaded, one end having a right-handed thread and the other end having a left-handed thread, the nuts d upon the plates D being correspondingly threaded right and left. The bearings G are hinged at one end at g to the beams A and may be fastened to the beams at their other end by a pin g.

To one outer end of the bars F are secured worm-wheelsf, which are engaged by worms it upon a longitudinally-extending shaft H, so that both sets of blocks may be operated simultaneously and by the same mechanism.

Opposite one end of the shaft H is secured a vertical shaft J, provided at its upper end with a hand-wheel K, located at a convenient height for operation by a party standing upon the deck. This vertical shaft and the worm shaft H are connected by a set of bevel-gears I, so that turning the hand-wheel K will result in the separation of the blocks 0, which support the boat. 4

The boat will have the ordinary block and tackle L, which is used for supporting the boat, connected to each end of the boat and to the davits D. These blocks and tackles will'be drawn up snug, so that they have but little slack.

To launch the boat, the hand-wheel K is rotated, so, as to separate the blocks 0, and as these are separated the weight of the boat is left suspended upon the block and tackle and the davits. WVhen the blocks 0 have been separated sufficiently to clear the boat,

they are swung down into the position shown in Fig. 5. The boatis thus left hanging freely from the davits and so that it may be swung out and over the'side of the ship and then lowered to the water.

The entire operation of freeing the boat emergency, as the people aboard of'the ship are liable to be excited and it is diliicult to get them to properly perform necessary operations of this character. In consequence it will be possible with my device to make the launching of boats more certain than with the ordinary devices.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A support for ships boats, comprising blocks engaging the boat on opposite sides,

and means for moving said blocks oppositely from beneath the boats, s'aid blocks being each divided into upper and lower sections hinged to each other, the upper section being adapted to swing sidewise, substantially as described.

2. A support for ships boats, comprising guide-beams extending transversely beneath the boat, blocks mounted to slide on said beams and engaging opposite sides of the boat; and means for moving the blocks of each pair oppositely upon the guide-beams, said blocks-being hinged to swing down sidewise, substantially as described.

3. A support for ships boats, comprising This is a guide-beams extending transversely beneath the boat, blocks mounted to slide on said beams and engaging opposite sides of the boat, each block being divided into upper and lower sections hinged together, the upper section being adapted to swing sidewise, a right and left threaded bar in each guideway, nuts secured to the lower sections of the blocks and engaging the threaded bars, and a common rotative connection to each threaded bar, substantially as described.

4. A support for ships boats, comprising guide-beams extending transverselybeneath the boat, blocks mounted to slide thereon and engaging opposite sides of the boat,each block being divided into upper and lower sections hinged together to swing the upper section sidewise, a right and left threaded bar in each guideway, nuts secured to the lower sections of the blocks and engaging the threaded bars, a worm-Wheel upon each threaded bar, a shaft having worms engaging the Worm-Wheels, a Vertical shaft having a hand-operated Wheel thereon, and bevel connections between said shaft and the one carrying the worms, substantially as described.

HENRY J. MATSON.

Witnesses:

.TNO. M. BITTER, II. L. REYNOLDS. 

